【英语趣味课堂】你最喜欢比利时的什么-What Do You Like Best in Belgium?

 Ade: Good afternoon Chris, tell me, we want to know what are your favorite places in your country?

 

Chris: My favorite places in my country. Well Belgium is actually a city country, I mean we have ... of course we have a beach which is a pretty long beach. It's not the most beautiful one but it has, I mean a lot of opportunities for children to play to make these nice sandcastles. When the tide is low you can go jogging, play ... play even tennis on hard sand beach. Then apart from the beach we also have our hills, I mean they're not that high, I mean the highest one is about 700 meters, it's a nice place full of nature where you can have nice walks and you can also ride a bike. There are nice tracks to ride a bike. And then of course you have the cities, I mean best cities, there is ... my city is Antwerp, that's where I come from. Antwerp is of course really known for it's commercial port, nice shopping opportunities, also night entertainment. Night time entertainment is really nice in Antwerp.

 

Ade: Really!

 

Chris: Of course, you should try it. I mean if you come once, I'll be your tour guide.

 

Ade: Oh, thank you so much.

 

Chris: And if you come ... I mean you should come three days, but I mean it's nice to visit three days, I wouldn't come longer, three days. One day to see Antwerp, another day to see, for example, Brugges. Brugges is a really idyllic¹ place, it's a really romantic place with the river running through town, some nice ancient buildings, chocolate shops in every corner. We can try the real Belgian chocolate. And then of course you have our capital, Brussels, which is full of history. I mean Brussels you see one history place next to the other, and museums, plazas², our famous Manneken Pis as they say.

 

Ade: Oh yeah, I heard about it, it's the little children making pee.

 

Chris: It's our mark. It's Brussels brand let's say. It's Mannekan Pis. Everybody wants to see it and take pictures, I mean, it's full of people taking pictures of it, but it's actually just a little man, let's say peeing, and it's not, I think it's not more than 40 centimeters. That's it actually.

 

Ade: Nice.

 

Chris: And more, I think that's about it for Belgium. I mean, it's a nice country to live in. It's pretty gray. It has some nice cities. It has its beach. It has it's hills. It has everything, but it just doesn't have the good weather.

 

Ade: Ah, that's why all Belgians come to Spain.

 

Chris: That's right. That's why I'm living actually in Spain right now.

 

Ade: Ah, perfect. I hope you like it.

 

Chris: Sure!

 

Ade: OK, Chris, thank you very much.

 

Chris: No problem.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

tracks

 

There are nice tracks to ride a bike.

 

A track is a small road or lane³. Notice the following:

 

Some cities have special tracks for cycling. 

I like to run around the track.

every corner

 

chocolate shops in every corner.

 

Every corner means on every street corner or in many places. Notice the following:

 

There is a Starbucks on every corner. 

On every corner, someone is selling something.

full of history

 

You have our capital, Brussels, which is full of history.

 

Full of history means it has a rich past. Notice the following:

 

That region⁴ is full of history. 

I knew that battlefield was full of history.

one --- next to the other.

 

I mean Brussels you see one history place next to the other.

 

The phrase 'one -- next to the other' means there are many in one area. Notice the following:

 

In Paris you see one cafe next to the other.

In Asia, you see one convenient next to the other. They are everywhere.

gray

 

It's pretty gray.

 

The phrase 'it's gray' means it is not sunny that much. Notice the following:

 

It is often gray in England.

When it is gray, I feel down.

1 idyllic   

adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的

参考例句：

• These scenes had an idyllic air.这种情景多少有点田园气氛。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

2 plazas   

n.（尤指西班牙语城镇的）露天广场( plaza的名词复数 )；购物中心

参考例句：

• At focal points, there are seating plazas as rest points for users. 在主要主景点上，有空间较大的广场提供休息的地方。 来自互联网
• Such products are suitable for lighting and decoration of plazas, courtyards, parks, residential district and roadside. 本产品适合于广场、庭院，公园、小区草坪和道路的装饰和照明。 来自互联网

3 lane   

n.(乡间)小路(巷)；车(跑，泳)道；航道

参考例句：

• There is a shop at the end of this lane.这条胡同的顶头有一家商店。
• The champion is running in lane five.冠军跑在第五跑道上。

4 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。